Web Masters please use this button to link back to this site

 

 

The Campaign - The Residents

 

Their Habitat Too!

"The Magic of the Gulf"
meet even more residents courtesy Wags and Kelly


Batfish - Humpheaded batfish inhabit the limestone outcrops, feeding on the small invertebrates. (Platax batavianus)


Catfish - Juvenile striped catfish form tightly packed aggregations containing up to several hundred fish. (Plotosus lineatus)


Cuttle Fish - Cuttlefish are a common feature of the gulf seacape, changing colour to camouflage themselves against the sponges and coral. (sepia)


Moray Eel - Moray eels peer out from cracks and crevices in limestone outcrops, opening and closing their mouths to pass oxygen over their gills.(Muraenidae)


Sea Apple - An echinoderm related to seastars, sea apples wave their tentacles about in the water capturing plankton on which to feed.(Pseudocolochirus axiologus)


Triton - Safe from collectors in the deeper waters of the gulf, the giant triton shell heaves itself along on it's single foot looking for other molluscs on which to feed. It is also one of few predators of the crown of thorn starfish which also inhabits the gulf and can wreak havoc if allowed to overpopulate.(Charonia tritonis)


Lionfish/ Firefish - Lionfish and firefish are common in Exmouth gulf, often inhabiting the same coral bommies all their lives . They are often found living in family groups, which remain together for years.


Fan worm - These segmented worms attach themselves to the reef and sway in the currents using their tentacles to capture plankton on which to feed. (Sabellidae)


Green Sea Turtle - These turtles are amongst the three species of turtles that nest in the Ningaloo Region and are recognised globally as a threatened species (Chelonia mydas)


Manta Ray - The eastern waters of the Exmouth Gulf are favoured feeding grounds of Manta Rays who follow the tide lines feeding on the plankton and small invertebrates. (Manta birostris)


Mangroves - The eastern coast of Exmouth Gulf supports one of the largest mangrove areas in the region. These are a significant source of nutrients that contribute to the valuable prawn fishery in Exmouth Gulf, and provide a nursery area for juvenile prawns and other commercial and non-commercial species.


Shovel Ray - Giant shovel rays can grow up to 2m in length. Their mouths are located on their undersides so they can forage for invertebrates amongst the sand, while their eyes on top can keep watch for danger! (Rhinobatos typus).


Christmas tree worms -This worm builds a tube on the surface of the coral, and as the coral grows it buries the tube in the skeleton of the coral. Then the worm is protected with only its head showing. If danger threatens, the worm can pull its head down into its tube in the blink of an eye.(Spirobranchus giganteus)

Coral - Many species of coral live in the nutrient rich waters of the Exmouth Gulf. These staghorn corals grow relatively fast, stretching towards the sunlight, which they require for photosythesis. (Acropora cervicornis)

 

 

© Photographs courtesy Wags and Kelly

Videos

The Residents

World Heritage

Fisheries

Impact

Comments

 

 


Halt the Salt Campaign - Web Manager: Dave Graham, Web hosting: ozup.com Images copyright Wags and Kelly
Halt the Salt Privacy statement